Tips for Night Driving

When it comes to driving at night, there are several rules that can significantly improve your safety and comfort. Key factors to focus on include tire maintenance, optimal use of headlights, monitoring fatigue, and reducing glare and improving visibility. By remembering these aspects, you can ensure comfortable and safe driving at night. ​

Tire Maintenance
Maintaining your tires in good condition is crucial for safe night driving, as no one wants to change a wheel at night: ​
Tire pressure: regularly check and maintain the recommended tire pressure to ensure optimal road grip and handling. 
Tread condition: monitor the tread depth of your tires to prevent hazardous situations, especially on wet or slippery roads, which can be harder to see at night. ​

This, of course, does not mean that you can only drive at night on new tires. But it's worth noting that poor tires are a bad ally on the road at night. 

Other Safety Factors 
Clean your headlights: make sure your car's headlights are clean and do not obstruct the light, and ensure they are properly aligned. Dirty or misaligned headlights can significantly impair visibility. ​
High beam: use high beam on unlit roads, but don't forget to switch to low beam when approaching other vehicles or following them, so as not to blind other drivers.

It's also worth noting that most headlights are made of plastic these days. Over time, they become dull, which affects road illumination. If you frequently drive your car at night, you should perform a headlight polishing procedure to restore them.

Keep both the front and rear windshields clean, inside and out, to minimize obstacles and glare from oncoming traffic. Make sure your car has enough windshield washer fluid. ​

It's essential to remember this during an unexpected emergency: 
Do not turn off all the car's headlights to remain visible to passing cars, and use reflective triangles or cones, if available, to indicate your location on the road. ​

In case of a tire puncture or other breakdown, try to avoid changing the wheel on the road. And in a situation where it's inevitable, use a reflective vest, which should be in your trunk.